NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (August 2020): Part of Criterion's 9-disc (3 Blu-ray / 6 DVDs) Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project No. 3 is the Brazilian film Pixote directed by Héctor Babenco in 1981. It was "Restored by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project and Cineteca di Bologna at 12Immagine Ritrovata in association with HB Filmes, Cinemateca Brasileira and JLS FacilitacOes Sonoras. Restoration funded by the George Lucas Family Foundation."

"Pixote was restored using the original camera negative and a first generation internegative preserved at the Cinemateca Brasileira. In order to minimize the overall presence of mold, particularly invasive in reels 3, 5 and 6, the camera negative was wet-gate scanned at 4K resolution. Missing frames in three different shots of reel 3 were replaced using the internegative.
The recently rediscovered original magnetic soundtrack, also affected by mold, with the oxide peeling off the base, was carefully repaired by Beto Ferraz, then digitised and restored by Jose Luiz Sasso (ABC), re-recording mixer for Hector Babenco in 1981. Final color grading was supervised by cinematographer Rodolfo Sanchez (ABC) using a first generation vintage 35mm print as reference."

Pixote shares a dual-layered disc with Dos monjes. The image is grainy and rough but holds a strong vérité quality. There is depth and a few rich colors (the only color film in the Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project No. 3 set.) 

NOTE: All UK versions were cut by 27 seconds under the 1978 Protection of Children Act. The scene removed was a panning shot showing the character Pixote on a bed alongside a couple having intercourse. That scene appears to be intact here.

NOTE: We have added 20 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original Portuguese language. It is predictably flat but has plenty of crowd and background noise evoking and overcrowded atmosphere. There is a score by John Neschling (Babenco's 1985 Kiss of the Spider Woman.) Criterion offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The supplements for this film include another introduction by Martin Scorsese - founder of the World Cinema Project. It was produced by the Criterion Collection in 2020 - running 3.5 minutes. Plus there is a 22-minute interview with director Hector Babenco excerpted from a recorded piece in 2016 for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Visual History Program Collection, administered by the Academy's Oral History Projects department. Hector Babenco made a 2-minute prologue for Pixote, featuring the director himself as well as actor Fernando Ramos da Silva, in order to better frame the film's plot for American audiences and secure distribution. It is included here as an extra.

Pixote is an incredibly touching film. The reformatory sequences are shocking and heartbreaking. Childhood innocence is juxtaposed with brutal and realistic violence fused with helpless poverty. Wow - I was blown away. This is a vital part of Criterion's 9-disc (3 Blu-ray / 6 DVDs) Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project No. 3. A hopeless lifestyle is realistically explored in an, often, difficult film experience. A very touching film.

Gary Tooze

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (August 2020): Part of Criterion's 9-disc (3 Blu-ray / 6 DVDs) Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project No. 3 is Juan Bustillo Oro's 1934 Mexican film Dos monjes. It was "Restored by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project at Elmmagine Ritrovata laboratory in collaboration with Filmoteca de la UNAM and the Cinematheque francaise."

"This restoration utilized a dupe negative preserved at the Filmoteca de la UNAM and a 35mm positive print provided by the Cinematheque francaise. A careful study of the available elements showed that the positive print was more complete and presented a higher photographic quality than the dupe negative, and was therefore used as much as possible. Elements were scanned and restored at a 4K resolution. While dialogue in the two elements matched, the sound mix presented several inconsistencies, namely in reels 3, 5, 6 and 8, where the UNAM dupe negative was used to integrate music missing in the CinemathOque francaise print. The goal of the audio reconstruction and restoration was to equalize any differences. Because the audio is missing in both elements, some portions of reel 3 are presented without sound."

Dos monjes shares a dual-layered disc with Pixote. The image is a product of the age and condition of the sources utilized. There are plenty of weak moments but none that I would cite as being detrimental to my viewing. Prepare yourself for an imperfect 1080P viewing but the story is fully embraceable and fascinating even in this lesser quality. 

NOTE: We have added 22 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original Spanish language. It is predictably flat with similar weaknesses to the video. There is a score by Max Urban - who worked mostly in Mexican cinema for another 20-years after Dos monjes. Criterion offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The supplements for this film include another introduction by Martin Scorsese - founder of the World Cinema Project. It was produced by the Criterion Collection in 2020 - running under 3-minutes. Plus there is a 20-minute interview with film scholar Charles Ramirez Berg (author of The Classical Mexican Cinema: The Poetics of the Exceptional Golden Age Films). It was recorded remotely in Austin, Texas, by the Criterion Collection in May 2020.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dos monjes (Two Monks.) Themes of revenge, unrequited love based in a Gothic-styled monastery in 30's Mexico make for an exquisite film experience. This melodramatic example of early Mexican cinema is another strong reason that we encourage ownership of Criterion's 9-disc (3 Blu-ray / 6 DVDs) Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project No. 3. How else would I have seen this in the improved quality if not for the restoration and I got a lot out of the Charles Ramirez Berg piece.

Gary Tooze

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (August 2020): Part of Criterion's 9-disc (3 Blu-ray / 6 DVDs) Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project No. 3 is the Mauritanian film (out of France) Soleil Ô directed by Med Hondo. "This restoration is part of the African Film Heritage Project, an initiative created by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project, the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers and UNESCO — in collaboration with Cineteca di Bologna — to help locate, restore and disseminate 50 African films with historic, artistic and cultural significance. Restored by Cineteca di Bologna at Limmagine Ritrovata laboratory in collaboration with Med Hondo.
Restoration funded by the George Lucas Family Foundation and The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project."

"The 4K restoration of Soleil O was made possible through the use of a 16mm reversal print, and 16mm and 35mm dupe negatives deposited by Med Hondo at Cine-Archives, the audiovisual archive of the French Communist Party, in Paris. A vintage 35mm print preserved at the Harvard Film Archive was used as a reference. Color grading was supervised by cinematographer Francois Catonne. The original 16mm magnetic tracks were used for the audio restoration. Reel 4 as well as the main and end titles were missing, so these were restored using the original 35mm soundtrack. The latter was also used to replace the 16mm mag tracks where the mix differed slightly from the vintage 35mm print."

We have already reviewed Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project Volume One Blu-ray and Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project Volume Two Blu-ray.

Soleil Ô shares a dual-layered disc with Downpour. The 4K-restored 1080P, black and white, presentation is quite strong with heavy grain (often from 16mm - see above.) Despite , it is consistent in-motion and looks very film-like. I thought it was a solid representation.

NOTE: We have added 20 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original French language. It is predictably flat with a less-remarkable score by George Anderson (his only film credit). But it sounds supportive of the film via the uncompressed. Criterion offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The supplements for this film include another introduction by Martin Scorsese - founder of the World Cinema Project. It was produced by the Criterion Collection in 2020 - running just over 3-minutes. There is a 21-minute interview with director Med Hondo excerpted from a 2018 recorded piece by the director's friend and frequent collaborator cinematographer Francois Catonne. It is presented here courtesy of the Hondo family and Cine-Archives.

I really liked Soleil Ô. The racial inequity focus is well-realized, fairly subtly at times and ends up being fiercely impacting. I recognized Bernard Fresson (also in Polankski's The Tenant) and I thought Robert Liensol was excellent. This strong piece of world cinema is another bone-fide reason that we recommend Criterion's 9-disc (3 Blu-ray / 6 DVDs) Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project No. 3. It's a film I doubt I would ever have been exposed to without this stellar package.

Gary Tooze